Try These Classic Desserts on Fat Tuesday (and All Other Fat Days)

A Polish creation now loved all over the world, paczy is a fluffy fried dough often filled with fruit preserves, much like the American jelly donut. The packs can even be filled and covered with sliced ​​fruit, since during the fasting period the fruit also spoils along with the other main ingredients. They are made from a thick yeast dough, to which a little alcohol is usually added. They are fried until golden brown, then stuffed or left fantastically simple and fluffy before being dusted with powdered sugar or icing.

The word ” fastnacht ” refers both to the holiday snack and to the time of its enjoyment – the night of fasting. The German version of fastnacht are soft, deep-fried yeast donuts that can be eaten with a dollop of black molasses (which sounds like a very rich flavor to me, but I support your choice). But it was the Pennsylvania Dutch version of fastnacht that peaked my interest. This donut is made from yeasted potato dough with lots of butter and sugar. This recipe switches up mashed potatoes. I also appreciate this recipe for its helpful oil substitution tips and advice on how to definitely not use expired yeast.

At this point you might think that the name ‘donut day’ makes more sense, but in some countries, including the UK and Ireland, you may hear the day before Lent referred to as Shrove Tuesday or ‘pancake day’. If you think about it, if everyone threw eggs, butter, sugar and flour into a bowl, you would end up with pancakes or donuts, depending on what baking powder you had left in the stores. Shrove Tuesday pancakes are a little thinner than the thick discs you’re used to, but a little bulkier than a French pancake. Try this recipe , which makes it easy to make the dough using a blender.

There are flour-based beignets, popular in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and there are beignets , like those made in Haiti with a banana-based dough. The dough does not need proofing, its shape just needs to be dipped in oil for frying. Check out this recipe for a simple mix and fry method.

In some regions of the United States, this monster of bread is a must-have in the days leading up to Mardi Gras. King cake is a sweet, enriched yeast treat, topped with icing and topped with yellow, purple and green sprinkles. It’s an explosion of sugar, color and flavor. King cakes can be left unfilled, emphasizing their soft, donut-like texture, or the raw dough can be filled and tossed with jams, nuts, or cinnamon and sugar. The dough is then braided or rolled and shaped into a circle before baking. Tradition requires the baker to insert a small token, usually a plastic baby, into the bread. The one who got the piece along with the baby will bring the king cake next time. This king cake video includes recipe and cooking instructions.

A traditional Maslenitsa treat in Goa, India, alle belles resemble pancakes in appearance but do not contain eggs. (Considering the price of eggs in some areas, this pancake may be right for you.) The filling is amazing. Alle belles crepes are wrapped in a filling of shredded coconut, cashews and jaggery . The filling softens slightly in the warm pancake, giving it a delicate sweetness and harmony of textures. Try this recipe , which makes about ten pancakes.

Getting rid of all the perishables in one dish has never looked more obvious or tempting than in the case of rogazo. Hornazo de jueves lardero means the ingredients in your pantry are baked together and eaten on Fat Thursday. Jornazó , commonly prepared and eaten in different regions of Spain, can be prepared with sweet or savory bread depending on the area. Bake the bread of your choice, proof it, and when you’re ready to bake, top it with a raw egg, some smoked sausage, and a slice or two of bacon. Bake as usual. By the time the bread is completely baked, the meat and eggs will be ready too. You can watch the video instructions to learn how to do this.

In Italy there is no shortage of dishes to celebrate the days leading up to Lent. These include lasagna and ravioli, but no holiday would be complete without toasting some sweet carbs. Dolci di carnevale includes such fantasies as zeppole and cicerchiata , and no Venetian carnival is complete without fritole. Fritole are yeast-fried dough pancakes, seasoned with booze and sprinkled with raisins. Fry until crispy and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I hate to give you something unfried, but these semlor buns are too good to ignore. Eaten on Fat Tuesday in Sweden, these plush cardamom-scented buns are baked rather than fried. Cut out the middle of the baked and cooled roll and fill it with sweetened almond filling, followed by whipped cream. Cover it with the piece of roll you took out from the center. This recipe uses a tangzhong mixture, which makes the roll very tender, both hot and cold.